From the Land of Cross and Star by Andrew Volkov | Book Reveiw

Synopsis:

Guilty magic. Love stilled by faith. A world in fever.

A disgraced monk races against time to unlock powers that can save the woman he cannot forget. But his former seminary friend—now a Bolshevik spy—will stop at nothing to seize his magic, his soul, his love.

From the steppes of revolution-bound Russia to the opium-scented ports of the East and across America’s merciless frontier, the fates of two friends-turned-enemies collide in the world of violent sects, train heists, Ute brujas, and deadly secrets. Faith and fraud, tragedy and farce, death and rebirth—every choice exacts a price on the soul.

For readers of Romanov by Nadine Brandes and Deathless by Catherynne Valente, as well as those who enjoy the mind games of Dostoyevsky’s Brothers Karamazov and Castaneda’s The Tales of Don Juan, From the Land of Cross and Star blends historical epic, dark magic, and moral intrigue in a tale you won’t forget.

My Review:

From the Land of Cross and Star: A Historical Fantasy Adventure (Ilyusha Book 1) by Andrew Volkov is a historical fantasy that I ended up enjoying more than I expected.

The story is divided into 4 parts, and I like how each part creates a different atmosphere while also carrying a different person’s perspective. The story starts with Llyusha’s ceremony to become a monk, but to his and everyone’s surprise, he gains supernatural powers from his mentor. The main protagonist is Llyusha, who I didn’t like because of the decisions he made, but I would say his character is very well developed. I appreciate the author for creating such a very real character with flaws and questionable decision-making skills.

The fantasy elements in this historical fiction are a very different blend of genres, which I love. The magic system is also very different from other books I have read so far. I love travel tropes, and this book has it. Even though the author focuses more on one specific location than their traveling journey, the shift in locations across each part was refreshing.

My favorite is always slow-burn love. The “love at first sight” between Llyusha and Anya is very less tolerable, but considering the situation they are in, I paid more attention to the plot than them. Coming to the plot, in part 1, Llyusha’s powers were explained, and I love the fact that, like us readers, he also experienced his magic for the first time.

In part 2, Llyusha sets off to save his brother with his brother’s bride, Lyubanya, who is also someone he has a love interest in. I didn’t really like Lyubanya. She is supposed to be his brother’s bride, but still shows feelings for Llyusha and even flirts with him, which just didn’t sit right with me. Llyusha does save his brother in a very unexpected way, and I truly appreciate the fight scenes in this part.

Part 3 takes place on a burning ship and involves so many fight scenes, I couldn’t love it more. The thrill in this part is truly amazing. This is also the part that made me question Llyusha, but everything made sense at the end. The whole of part 4 is very much an unexpected twist. It’s a very bold move by the author to introduce new characters in the last few chapters while also creating a very thrilling and worthy climax.

This story is a very big example of the line “Everything that happens in life has a reason.” It shows many strong emotions like betrayal, guilt, and fear of death, most of which are explored in part three.

Overall, this was a 4.5-star read for me. I enjoyed the journey, the emotions, and how everything came together in a way that felt real rather than dramatic.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5

Book links:

Goodreads | Amazon

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